Closet bowl mounting mat



April 1939- H. c. WILLIAMS CLOSET BOWL MQUNTING MAT V Filed Sept. 24, 1957 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY5' Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in closet bowl mounting mats.

Heretofore in installing closet bowls, it has been customary to bolt the outer flanges of the base of the bowl to the floor, and it has also been customary to seal the joint between the closet bend and the outlet pipe in the floor with putty. With this method of procedure it was impossible to tell whether the proper amount of putty was being usedif too little was employed the joint would be imperfect, and if too muchwas employed the bowl would not seat properly on the floor. Furthermore when it was attempted to draw the base flanges down into proper engagement with the floor by means of the bolts, breakage of the base flange was not an infrequent occurrence.

Present installation, methods also present difiiculties in use. For example, where the bowl is placed on a wooden floor there is no suitable method for sealing the engagement between the base flanges and the floor, and as result condensation from the outside of the bowl will drain downwardly to the floor and work under the flanges to cause rotting of that portion of the floor which is beneath the bowl. Where the bowl is used on a tile floor there is always the diificulty of making the base of the bowl rest firmly, and in addition the putty which is employed for the outlet pipe joint causes staining of the tile. Furthermore such putty will eventually rot away and cause leakage.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved closet bowl mat for use in installing closet bowls whereby the necessity of using putty or other plastic material is entirely eliminated and whereby a tight seal is nevertheless formed between the base flanges and the floor and at the joint between the outlet pipe and the closet bend.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closet bowl mounting mat which greatly facilitates the installation of closet bowls.

A further object of the invention is to provide the combination with a closet bowl of an article as above described.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a closet bowl mat which accomplishes the plural function of providing a water-proof protecting covering for the floor beneath the bowl, of providing a seal between the base flanges of the bowl and the floor, and of providing a seal at the joint between the outlet pipe and closet bend.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an article as above described which is formed of rubber, preferably of the sponge rubber type.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in combination with a closet bowl having a closet bend, an outlet pipe in registration with said closed bend, and a seal for the joint between said closet bend and. outlet pipe formed of relatively thick sponge rubber, the weight of the bowl serving to hold said rubber seal in compressed sealing position to insure a tight waterproof joint.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting mat which may readily be trimmed to fit the base and to conform to the contour of any type of closet bowl.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved closet bowl mounting mat in all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the improved mat;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through a portion of the mat on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a typical installation;

Fig. 4 is a plan View on a reduced scale of the mat, indicating how it may be trimmed to fit a' desired bowl; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sealing ring without the associated mat.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a closet bowl of any desired type having depending base flanges 6 on which the bowl is adapted to rest, and having a closet bend i formed with the usual lower, end opening 8. The closet bend is adapted to register with an opening 9 in the upper end of an outlet pipe l0. Said outlet pipe registers with an opening II in the floor l2 in the usual manner. It is also customary to have a collar l3 surrounding the upper end of the outlet pipe, said collar being provided with an outwardly directed annular flange [4. The collar is secured to the upper end of the pipe by a lead seal l5 in the usual manner.

I-Ieretofore it has been customary to place putty on top of the flange l4 of the collar I3 and then press the bowl into position with the closet bend in registration with the upper end of the outlet pipe ID, the putty forming a seal between the outlet pipe and closet bend. Use of 55 putty is unsatisfactory because it is impossible to tell whether the proper amount of putty is being employed. If too much is used it will ooze out under the weight of the bowl, and portions may get on the floor and interfere with proper seating of the bowl. In addition this putty causes undesirable staining of tile floors. If too little of the putty is employed, the joint may be imperfect. In addition putty will in time deteriorate and break away, causing leakage at the joint.

With the present invention, before the bowl is placed in position, the improved mat I6 is laid on the floor in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. This mat may be formed of any water-proof material, but it is preferably formed of rubber such as sponge rubber. The mat is formed with a circular opening ll which is adapted to substantially register with the opening in the upper end of the outlet pipe ID, the material around the opening resting on the flange M of the collar l3 and overlapping the material of the pipe 10. While it is not essential, it is preferred to have the material surrounding the opening I! of substantially increased thickness to form a sealing ring I 8. This sealing ring is preferably an integral part of the mat and is also of sponge rubber. It may, however, be separate from the mat and either united thereto at the time of manufacture or at the time of installation. When the bowl is placed in position, it is apparent that the lower end of the closet bend will rest on the sealing ring 18; It is also apparent that the base flanges 6 of the closet bowl will rest on the mat. Due to the weight of the bowl, the mat is compressed so that a tight seal is formed between the flanges 6 of the bowl and the floor. The sealing ring I8 is also compressed as is clear from Fig. 3 to form a tight waterproof seal at the joint between the closet bend and outlet After the bowl is suitably placed in position in the manner shown in Fig. 3, the edges of the mat may be trimmed as indicated in Fig. 4 to conform to the shape of the base of the bowl. It is apparent that the seal which is formed by the mat between the base flanges and the floor will prevent any water of condensation from the outside of the bowl from entering the space beneath the bowl to cause rotting of a wood floor. It is also apparent that any leakage or other water inside of the base will be received by the water-proof mat.

A sealing ring it of relatively thick .sponge rubber, as shown in Fig. 5, may of course be used without the mat, and as far as applicant is aware, a relatively thick sealing ring of sponge rubber has not heretofore been used to form a seal between the outlet pipe and closet bend in the installation of water closets, and great advantages are derived from the use thereof due to the fact that the seal is simple to install, permanent, and eliminates the necessity of using putty or other plastic sealing material.

Closet bowls are sometimes mounted on a side wall instead of on the floor, and the present invention is well adapted for such installations as well as for the conventional type.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. All of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a closet bowl having a base provided with flanges and having a closet bend, an outlet pipe within which the lower end of said closet bend extends, said closet bend having substantially horizontally extending portions in connection with its exterior and spaced above said lower end portion which extends into the outlet pipe, and a sheet of rubber between the base flanges of the bowl and the flooring, said sheet having an opening therein positioned to receive the downwardly extending lower end of the closet bend, the material surrounding said opening being of substantially increased thickness and resting on the upper end of the outlet pipe and beneath said horizontally extending exterior portions of said closet bend, the weight of the bowl causing said portion of the rubber which is of increased thickness to be squeezed between said horizontally extending portions and the upper end of the outlet pipe to insure a tight water-proof joint.

2. In combination, a closet bowl having a base provided with flanges and having a closet bend, an outlet pipe within which the lower end of said closet bend extends, said closet bend having substantially horizontally extending portions in connection with its exterior and spaced above said lower end portion which extends into the outlet pipe, and a sheet of sponge rubber between the base flanges of the bowl and the'flooring, said sheet having an opening therein positioned to receive the downwardly extending lower endof the closet bend, the material surrounding said opening being of substantially increased thickness and resting on the upper end of the outlet pipe and beneath said horizontally extending exterior portions of said closet bend, the weight of the bowl causing said portion of the highly compressible sponge rubber which is of increased thickness to be squeezed between said horizontally extending portions and the upper end of the outlet pipe to insure a tight water-proof joint.

HENRY CLAY WILLIAMS. 

